Summary: Aerobic verses weight lifting is a concern for many. You may not have all the time in the world to exercise. In reality you should not be asking yourself if it is between cardio and weight training. You should be figuring out how to incorporate both into your workout plan.

Consider the following question about the aerobic verses the weight training debate; Do you want to burn fat while you are working out or after?

Benefits of Aerobics

The definition of aerobic is with oxygen. Aerobics requires oxygen to do cardio exercises. With aerobic exercises you lose fat while you are working out. Aerobic exercise doesn’t have much of a residual fat loss effect. Focus on the weight bearing exercises. Running is a great weight bearing exercise but the disadvantage is with time it can wear out your joints. Weight bearing cardio will build bone density. There are many weight bearing cardio machines such as the elliptical machine that will save the stress on your joints and build bone density at the same time.

Additional Advantages Cardio has Over Weight Training

1. Cardio is better with relieving stress and overcoming depression. Cardio training elevates the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Endorphins are another neurotransmitter in the brain that reduces pain and causes you to feel good.
2. Reduces hypertension and blood pressure.
3. Improves cholesterol levels. Weight training may impact it a little but you would have to train in a circuit training fashion to benefit from improved cholesterol.
4. Increases maximum oxygen uptake.
5. Improves resting metabolic rate.
6. Burn more calories while working out. The big disadvantage with cardio is once you stop working out you stop burning calories.
7. Better at strengthening your heart.

Benefits of Weight Training

An advantage weight training has over aerobics is its residual fat loss effect. How big of an effect this has is still a hot debate. Muscles burn calories at rest. The bigger muscles you have the less fat you have.

Advantages weight training has over aerobic exercises
1. Musculoskeletal
2. Bone density: I also included this in both categories, but most of the research says you are more likely to build bone mass with weight lifting. Jumping may be the exception.
3. Leaner muscle mass
4. Body image: Weight training is more likely to give you the figure you want. You still will need cardio to take off that extra little baby fat.
5. Better at reducing the chances of injury.

The Equal Benefits of Both Weight training and Cardio

1. Diabetes: Both cardio and weight training improve glucose tolerance and reduce insulin responses.
2. Functional capabilities: These are your abilities to do your day to day tasks.
3. Bone density: Increasing your bone density for aerobic exercises is most effective with weight bearing exercises. Swimming will not strengthen your bones like running will do. Jumping and plyometric training will do the most for strengthening your bones. There is a machine new to the United States called the T-Zone machine that operates off vibration technology. You stand on the machine and it vibrates you causing your muscles to involuntarily contract. Astronauts use this machine when they return from space to build their bone mass.
4. Metabolism: I put metabolism in both because research seems to support aerobic and weight training improves metabolism.

Conclusion

The aerobic verses weight lifting debate should not be a concern to you. You should plan on doing both. Many benefits of aerobic and weight training are interwoven. Cardio still has some clear benefits over weight training. Weight training has some clear benefits over aerobics, which is why doing both is the best answer.

Bret Bradshaw owns a virtual personal training business with more than 40 of the nations top celebrity personal trainers. You can find out more by going to www.Fit-In-Exercise.com.

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